Match Reports - March 9, 2013
The match of the day saw the 2nd XI beat league leaders Wanderers 4-3 thanks to a last-minute goal by David Knapp, lifting us into second place with three matches to go. The 1st XI made it 18 wins in 19 with a 3-0 win at Fareham while the Ladies finished off their league campaign with a 4-2 win over London Academicals to end up a creditible third. Lower down the club the results were not as good. The 3rd XI were thumped by leaders Reigate Priory 8-2, the Barnstormers lost 4-2 at Sunbury while the Hamstrings contrived to go down 1-9 at home to bottom side Wimbledon.
Fareham 0-3 1st XI
Fresh from the unlikeliest call-up in years, Jock Vickers' weekend was completed when he was asked to write the match report.
7.15 AM - Daughter up and fed, camera gear checked and ready for a day of pics watching the 1s down at Fareham
8.09 AM - Phone pings with as text from rippers arrives……..’start stretching- you are starting-George is ill’
8.10AM - Visions of searing runs, diving goals, terrorizing defences……..
8.11 AM - cold sweat of age and fitness related realization sets in!
The team is assembled in a changing room that can only be described as compact. Coach Garry surveys his limited options-realising the mess Rippers has organised—‘ when I asked for a like for like replacement for George I meant another ex international –not another bloke in his mid 30’s carrying too many pies’ he mutters to himself in disgust.
There is more hope for him further round the changing room- wisey bathed in focus, ear phones on, hood up –Belinda Carlisle goading him into a trace like state of readiness, the bearded Rippers eyes closed lovingly stroking his stick through the air in a mr miagi motion….
He starts……’We can do what we have been doing all season and and continue to play as we are but with slightly differing personnel… or we can change things round and try playing ourselves in differing positions and learn something for next season’. Sam inwardly grins and dreams of a day in goal with less running and hiding his hangover under a helmet, Jock breaks into a further bout of heavy sweating at the thought of a trip to the mid field,
On the walk to the pitch, Garry continues to rouse his troops—having realised that Fareham have a squad of 15 with an average age of 22 against his bare 11 averaging 10 yrs more….not helped by his nearing his 40th!
The game starts at a furious pace, Justin and Sam being marshalled at the back by the returning heavily tanned skipper, glowing from his mid season spa break. Sam looked especially lively after putting in extra training miles late at night round south east London(sat nav not required….)
Grunts of effort and frustration as the Ripley brother toil in the midfield, desperately trying to judge passes to the forward line that bore a slight tortoise and hare resemblance. Half timed arrived with us 1-0 up - much less than the score should have been after several missed chances-but none the less Garry seemed happy after some good hockey.
Instructions issued, changes made, liquids gasped down the second half continued in much the same vein until the value of well worked and practiced short corner routines started to make their mark. Garry had his finger smashed by a Neil from the Inbetweeners masquerading as a Fareham forward with a deafness for a whistle.
Coated in blood he scampered off to patch himself up On his return a repeated clash between the pair saw coach with blood dripping from above his eye-still clearly not enough to warrant an apology on the south coast. By this time various members of the team were starting to look in need of a mixture of jaeger bombs and/or oxygen if they were to survive the weekend and so the final whistl
as greeted with a collective knackered intake of breath.
The days drama was not over as an evacuation of the clubhouse followed mid beer due to smoke rising from around the gas bottles behind the bar. Later in the Thames Ditton bar Knappy, Andrew Eve and Simon Marshall were seen handing over phone numbers to the coach and expressing their readiness for one more forage at the top table of OC hockey-‘If that pie eating trundler can……..’ was heard muttered.
Ps Thanks for the return pass ceige……..
2nd XI 4-3 Wanderers IV
The dream lives on following a dramatic last gasp win over league leaders Wandereres. Spencer drew again and so we are now 1 point clear in second place with 3 games to go.
An efficient short corner drill saw us score three times with Wanderers scoring their three from their drag flicker. Never behind we could not draw 2 goals clear and were pegged back each time with the last occasion looking fatal with 4 minutes to go, conceding a stupid short and going down to 10 as a result with Wanderers slotting to make it 3 - 2. there was just time to win one more corner that founds its way home to sneak the win. With 7 of last year's first XI on show we certainly had the experience and did play well with Watson not too troubled in the OC goal.
Nick Lewis's strike at our first corner put us one up only to be clawed back mid way through the half but 2 from Knapp and one from Brewer enables us to claim the points.
Ladies 4-2 London Academicals
A straighforward final match of the season against a side already relegated which for the first 50 minutes went very much as expected. Academicals showed attacking intent without possessing any cutting edge but their defence showed why they struggled all year as we went into the break 3-0 up. That became four early in the second half but then we turned off, dropped deeper and allowed the Academicals to take control and score twice. The result never looked in doubt but it allowed Goalie a few final rants of the season on the sideline.
Reigate Priory 8-2 3rd XI
A visit to the league leaders was always going to he hard, all the more so when Nigel Hawes had the organisation handed to him 48 hours before the match with only four players committed. He pulled off a miracle and got a full side to Reigate and claimed to have thoroughly enjoyed himself. They say time mellows everyone.
 |
| David Knapp celebrates the last-gasp winner for the 2nd XI |
Fareham 0-3 1st XI
Fresh from the unlikeliest call-up in years, Jock Vickers' weekend was completed when he was asked to write the match report.
7.15 AM - Daughter up and fed, camera gear checked and ready for a day of pics watching the 1s down at Fareham
8.09 AM - Phone pings with as text from rippers arrives……..’start stretching- you are starting-George is ill’
8.10AM - Visions of searing runs, diving goals, terrorizing defences……..
8.11 AM - cold sweat of age and fitness related realization sets in!
The team is assembled in a changing room that can only be described as compact. Coach Garry surveys his limited options-realising the mess Rippers has organised—‘ when I asked for a like for like replacement for George I meant another ex international –not another bloke in his mid 30’s carrying too many pies’ he mutters to himself in disgust.
There is more hope for him further round the changing room- wisey bathed in focus, ear phones on, hood up –Belinda Carlisle goading him into a trace like state of readiness, the bearded Rippers eyes closed lovingly stroking his stick through the air in a mr miagi motion….
He starts……’We can do what we have been doing all season and and continue to play as we are but with slightly differing personnel… or we can change things round and try playing ourselves in differing positions and learn something for next season’. Sam inwardly grins and dreams of a day in goal with less running and hiding his hangover under a helmet, Jock breaks into a further bout of heavy sweating at the thought of a trip to the mid field,
On the walk to the pitch, Garry continues to rouse his troops—having realised that Fareham have a squad of 15 with an average age of 22 against his bare 11 averaging 10 yrs more….not helped by his nearing his 40th!
The game starts at a furious pace, Justin and Sam being marshalled at the back by the returning heavily tanned skipper, glowing from his mid season spa break. Sam looked especially lively after putting in extra training miles late at night round south east London(sat nav not required….)
Grunts of effort and frustration as the Ripley brother toil in the midfield, desperately trying to judge passes to the forward line that bore a slight tortoise and hare resemblance. Half timed arrived with us 1-0 up - much less than the score should have been after several missed chances-but none the less Garry seemed happy after some good hockey.
Instructions issued, changes made, liquids gasped down the second half continued in much the same vein until the value of well worked and practiced short corner routines started to make their mark. Garry had his finger smashed by a Neil from the Inbetweeners masquerading as a Fareham forward with a deafness for a whistle.
Coated in blood he scampered off to patch himself up On his return a repeated clash between the pair saw coach with blood dripping from above his eye-still clearly not enough to warrant an apology on the south coast. By this time various members of the team were starting to look in need of a mixture of jaeger bombs and/or oxygen if they were to survive the weekend and so the final whistl
as greeted with a collective knackered intake of breath.
The days drama was not over as an evacuation of the clubhouse followed mid beer due to smoke rising from around the gas bottles behind the bar. Later in the Thames Ditton bar Knappy, Andrew Eve and Simon Marshall were seen handing over phone numbers to the coach and expressing their readiness for one more forage at the top table of OC hockey-‘If that pie eating trundler can……..’ was heard muttered.
Ps Thanks for the return pass ceige……..
2nd XI 4-3 Wanderers IV
The dream lives on following a dramatic last gasp win over league leaders Wandereres. Spencer drew again and so we are now 1 point clear in second place with 3 games to go.
An efficient short corner drill saw us score three times with Wanderers scoring their three from their drag flicker. Never behind we could not draw 2 goals clear and were pegged back each time with the last occasion looking fatal with 4 minutes to go, conceding a stupid short and going down to 10 as a result with Wanderers slotting to make it 3 - 2. there was just time to win one more corner that founds its way home to sneak the win. With 7 of last year's first XI on show we certainly had the experience and did play well with Watson not too troubled in the OC goal.
Nick Lewis's strike at our first corner put us one up only to be clawed back mid way through the half but 2 from Knapp and one from Brewer enables us to claim the points.
Ladies 4-2 London Academicals
A straighforward final match of the season against a side already relegated which for the first 50 minutes went very much as expected. Academicals showed attacking intent without possessing any cutting edge but their defence showed why they struggled all year as we went into the break 3-0 up. That became four early in the second half but then we turned off, dropped deeper and allowed the Academicals to take control and score twice. The result never looked in doubt but it allowed Goalie a few final rants of the season on the sideline.
Reigate Priory 8-2 3rd XI
A visit to the league leaders was always going to he hard, all the more so when Nigel Hawes had the organisation handed to him 48 hours before the match with only four players committed. He pulled off a miracle and got a full side to Reigate and claimed to have thoroughly enjoyed himself. They say time mellows everyone.
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